Tiarella plant named ‘Jeepers Creepers’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct hybrid of Tiarella plant characterized by its unique creeping habit with good vigor, fine leaf form and coloration, and showy white flowers.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct hybrid of Tiarella,of the family Saxifragaceae, which originated from a cross betweenunknown parents. This new Tiarella was one of many seedlings grown fromselect plants that were mass pollinated in the greenhouse in Canby,Oreg. Due to the fact that there were several different speciesinvolved, no species designations are given.

What makes this plant unique is its slow creeping habit. Tiarellanormally is either clumping or running to five or more feet a year.Tiarella ‘Jeepers Creepers’ spreads 4 to 12 inches a year. It also hasgood quality foliage, vigor, and good flower size and number of flowers.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by divisionand tissue culture as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoingcharacteristics and distinctions come true to form and are establishedand transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present inventionhas not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. Thephenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change inthe genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the late spring flowers of the new plant.

FIG. 2 shows the plant in a two gallon pot.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Tiarella hybrid basedon observations of one and a half year old specimens grown in two gallonpots in a cool greenhouse in Canby, Oreg. The color descriptions are allbased on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

Botanical classification: Tiarella hybrid.

Cultivar name: ‘Jeepers Creepers’.

Plant:

Form.—Rhizomatous, herbaceous perennial.

Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.

Size.—18 cm tall and 31 cm wide in Canby, Oreg.

Leaf:

Type.—Simple.

Arrangement.—Alternate, when visible on old stems.

Shape.—Ovate.

Lobing/division.—Variable, 3 to 5 lobes, palmately parted, with theterminal lobe the longest, parted from ½ to ⅔ of leaf.

Venation.—Palmate, with dark coloration following veins.

Margins.—Irregulary crenate, leaves often cup back slightly.

Apex.—Variable, from obtuse to acute to mucronulate.

Base.—Cordate, sometimes overlapping.

Size.—10 cm long and 9.2 cm wide.

Texture.—Rough. Hirsute top and bottom with the bottom hairs shorter.

Petiole length.—12 cm. at the longest.

Petiole texture.—Strongly pubescent.

Petiole color.—Closest to Greyed Orange 177A but with more purple.

Leaf color.—Variable. Normally Green RHS 137B with dark maroon in leafcenter and along veins. Greyed Purple 187A. In the spring the new growthis Green 144A. The winter colors are Greyed Orange 174D to 176A.

Abaxial.—Yellow Green 146B.

Inflorescence:

Type.—Panicle.

Number of flowers.—Approximately 50 per panicle.

Peduncle.—With one to two green cauline leaves and one to threebranches. Height — 30 to 50 cm. Diameter — 0.25 to 0.30 cm. Color —Yellow Green 152A. Texture — Hispid.

Pedicel.—Length — 0.8 cm. Texture — Puberulent. Color — Greyed Purple183B to lighter greyed purple over yellow green.

Bloom period.—April to May in Canby, Oreg.

Flower bud:

Size.—0.3 to 0.4 cm.

Description.—Puberulent, downfacing, campanulate when opening.

Color.—Creamy white. Yellow White 158A.

Flower:

Type.—Perfect, actinormorphic, sepals petaloid.

Shape.—Rotate.

Size.—0.95 cm wide.

Color.—White 155D sepals and petals.

Petal count.—5.

Petal shape.—Elliptic with a clawed base.

Petal size.—0.5 cm long and 0.2 cm wide.

Sepal type.—Petaloid, divided almost to the base.

Sepal size.—⅔ the size of the petals.

Stamen number.—10, conspicuously exerted.

Pistil.—White 155D.

Pollen.—Greyed Orange 170B.

Anthers undehisced.—Red Orange 31B.

Filaments.—White 155D.

Fragrance.—None.

Lastingness.—A spike blooms for about 3 weeks and may branch extendingthe bloom time.

Fruit:

Type.—A one celled, horned capsule.

Fertility.—Fertile.

Color.—Tan. Grey-Brown 199D.

Seed:

Shape.—Elliptic.

Size.—Less than 1 mm.

Color.—Black 202A.

Disease tolerance: Excellent disease resistance to powdery mildew, thecommon problem of Tiarellas.

COMPARISON TO OTHER PLANTS

Tiarella ‘Jeepers Creepers’ is unique from other Tiarella in having acreeping habit rather than running or clumping habit. This character,along with good vigor, foliage, and flowers made the instant plant standout from all others. The breeder knows of no other Tiarella plant withall these characteristics.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct hybrid of Tiarella plant substantially asshown and described, characterized by a slow creeping habit and goodvigor, foliage, form and flowers.